Nothing Is As It Seems
by Sladin5Ever
Summary: DISCONTINUED! —Sequel to A Soldier Scorned— Robin is called by Gibbs to come to NCIS on a business trip. They found a body that would interest him. Intrigued, Robin goes and quickly discovers that the offer was not what he bargained for. NCIS/Teen Titans X-over. DISCONTINUED!
1. Prologue

It was barely morning in Jump City, California. Not many were awake yet. The water on the bay was relatively still. The only major movement was at the docks, where workers were packing away shipments in the warehouses. On the small island on the bay, Titans Tower looked dead. In a lights out sort of way anyway. Nothing was stirring, except perhaps Beast Boy, who tends to talk in his sleep when he's dreaming. Titans Tower was working perfectly and efficiently. In his room, Robin's alarm clock read 5:30AM. His alarm would be going off a few minutes before the sunrise at six. At least, that's what he would have wanted.

Robin woke with a start when the Titans' theme song played from the communicator, blaring near his ear. Groaning, he rolled over and reached for his bedside table. He fumbled for the yellow communication's device, keeping his pained, tired eyes shut. When his fingers wrapped around the plastic, he dragged it off the table's surface and flipped the lid with his thumb.

"Y-Yeah…"

_"__Robin, it's Gibbs from DC."_

Robin clenched his eyes together tight before opening them. He saw Gibbs's face on the screen. He was standing in front of a TV screen that was against the wall behind him. He recognized the work area of the Special Agents' desks. Gibbs had on a black jacket and black hat with the words NCIS in white on the front.

"Oh, yeah, Gibbs. …You do know its 5:30, right?"

Gibbs checked his watch briefly. _"My watch says 8:34."_

"…I don't think you realize we're in different time zones, Gibbs."

_"__I do know. I just thought you would be up by now. Anyway, we just got back from a crime scene. Ducky is working on the autopsy right now. All we know is the victim's name. Normally we don't take such cases, but I convinced the director to run with it."_

"Okay, so you called just to tell me that?" Robin asked.

_"__No. I wanted to let you know that this case might interest you. How would you like to come down on a business trip?"_

* * *

So a strange case has presented itself that Robin might be interested in? What could it be? You'll find out in chapter 2 ;) I don't know how long chapter 2 will be. Hopefully it'll be longer than this though. I apologize for such a short prologue

**SladinForever**

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans or NCIS. Darn! :(


	2. Welcome Back

It was now three o'clock Eastern Standard Time. Not much was happening at NCIS. McGee, Tony, and Ziva were relaxing at their desks, eating a late lunch. Gibbs was down in autopsy, talking to Ducky as he examined the dead body they had picked up that morning.

"How's it coming, Duck?"

"I'm half done, Jethro. Is Robin coming?"

"Yeah, he should be here around seven. I don't want him to know anything until he's here."

"Well good. I don't feel like repeating myself later anyway," Ducky said, pulling out the dead man's heart. He set it in his basin and then worked on getting his lungs out of his chest. "I should be done an hour before he arrives."

Gibbs turned and headed back upstairs. "Thanks, Duck."

Gibbs entered the elevator and pushed the main floor button. Twenty seconds later, the doors opened and he stepped out. He walked around the cubicle separation to reach his desk. Sitting down, he turned his computer screen on. A map was open, showing an airplane symbol flying across the United States. It was halfway across the country already.

"So we're going to work with the Titans again, huh?" Tony asked after walking to the front of Gibbs's desk.

Gibbs didn't take his eyes off the screen as he said, "Nope. I only invited Robin. Besides, his team needs to protect their city while he's away."

"Abby will be bummed."

"She'll live," Gibbs said, picking up his desk phone. He hit the one key and heard the dial tone from the receiver. After the second ring, the phone clicked. "Director, Teen Titans leader Robin will be arriving in DC at nineteen hundred." Before the Director could respond, Gibbs hung up and then looked back at the map. The plane symbol hardly moved a fraction of an inch. Realizing Tony was still standing in front of his desk, Gibbs looked at him with a slightly raised eyebrow. "Are you waiting for something, DiNozzo?"

Tony smiled awkwardly. "No boss."

Turning around, Tony returned to his desk. McGee hung up his work phone and then looked at Gibbs. "Boss, our appointment at United States Penitentiary Lee in Jonesville is set for this Friday the seventh at three."

"Thank you, McGee."

Everyone went back to work as they waited for their friend Robin to arrive to help them with their case.

* * *

An airplane landed in Washington National Airport around 6:50PM. The passengers started pulling their carry on luggage out of the compartments above them. Robin got up from his seat in First Class, grabbed his backpack off the floor, and then made his way off the plane. He wore civilian clothes, but his mask still covered his eyes. At seven o'clock, he would be meeting up with Gibbs at the front of the airport. Robin hadn't bothered packing a suitcase. His extra clothes, masks, and communicator were in his backpack. The Titans air-mailed his weapons to NCIS while he was on his flight. He would get them in the morning.

It took almost five minutes to get out of the airport. The glass doors slid open as he approached. With his hands in his jean pockets, Robin looked around, searching for Gibbs. A dark blue car pulled up to the loading/unloading zone, stopping in front of him. Recognizing it as an NCIS vehicle, Robin walked over and peered in the window. Sure enough, Gibbs was in the driver's seat. He unlocked the door. Robin opened it and sidled inside. Sitting down, he set his backpack on the floor at his feet, closed the door, put on his seat belt, and then sat back in a relaxed position. He grinned at Gibbs.

"Nice to see you again, Gibbs."

Gibbs smiled. "It's a pleasure. It will take at least an hour to get to the Naval Yard. We could catch up?"

"Sure. That'll be great." Gibbs drove past the airport and headed for the highway. It took at least five minutes to get off the Exit. "Have any interesting cases since we left six months ago?"

"Sort of," Gibbs said, not taking his eyes off the road. "You?"

"Oh same ol', same ol'. We don't deal with so many criminals anymore since most of our biggest villains are either in jail or frozen."

Gibbs slowly turned his head in his direction. He had a slightly strange look on his face. "Do I even want to know?"

Robin laughed. "Probably not! It's a long story anyway."

"We have time…"

"Well from that look you gave me, you seemed to not _want_ to know."

"Maybe…"

With a chuckle, Robin decided to tell the story anyway. For most of the hour, he retold the Titans' time fighting off the Brotherhood of Evil. Gibbs found it interesting to say the least.

"Being a hero is tough then?" he asked when they were nearing the Exit they were suppose to take.

"Sometimes. We don't get a lot of vacation time, but at least we've got each other. With the criminal activity down, we have more time to hang out. We try going out for pizza every other Friday and watch a movie. They can get interrupted, but that doesn't happen very often."

Gibbs got off the highway and made his way towards NCIS headquarters. "Once we get there, we need to inform the director and then we can go down to autopsy to listen to Ducky's report."

"Alright."

Gibbs turned right onto the next street. "Also, our homes are available if you want to stay with one of us for the night. Your call."

"Thanks. I'll decide before the night is done."

After a few more minutes of driving, Gibbs pulled into the parking lot of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service Naval Yard. He parked in his reserved spot and then turned off the car. They both got out, closed their doors, and then headed for the front doors. Gibbs didn't bother locking the car. After showing his badge to the guard, the gate opened and Robin and Gibbs entered. They made their way to the NCIS building.

"Hopefully Robin's plane didn't get delayed," McGee said. Tony, Ziva, Abby, and McGee were waiting for Gibbs and Robin to arrive as they sat at their desks in slight anticipation. "Gibbs wouldn't be very happy."

"Then it was a good thing it wasn't, McGee."

Tony, Ziva, Abby, and Tim stood up. Gibbs and Robin stood at the opening of the cubicles. He smiled at everyone.

"Hey guys. I'll be looking forward to working with NCIS again."

* * *

This is definitely a bit longer than chapter 1, but not by much. The reason for the shortness was because I wanted to get the team mentioned again. Chapter 3 will be a fairly nice length, don't you worry about that ^^ Chapter 3 will be pretty good in my opinion, so I hope you will enjoy it when it comes out. I hope you're liking the sequel so far. Take care!

**SladinForever**


	3. The Case

This chapter has a lot of information in it. You will see a change in the cast. Not sure how many of you will be happy about it or not XD I've heard before that this character isn't too well liked. I guess we'll find out ;) I hope nothing confuses anyone. If it does, you can ask me questions. If I realize I forgot something or whatever, I'll update this chapter, if necessary. So enjoy!

**SladinForever**

* * *

Once everyone said their "hello"s and "welcome back"s, Gibbs led Robin upstairs. They passed MTAC and walked down a short hall. Reaching a door with a plaque that read _Director_ on it, Gibbs knocked and then opened the door. They walked into the director's office, Robin closing the door behind him. Stopping in front of the director's desk, he frowned.

"Director Vance," Gibbs said, "I'd like you to meet Robin of the Teen Titans from Jump City, California."

Director Vance stood up, came around the desk, and held his hand out. "Welcome to NCIS."

Robin shook his hand, looking confused. "Thanks for letting me come." The handshake ended. "What happened to Director Shepard?"

"Ms. Shepard passed away two months ago," Vance said. "I've taken her place."

"Oh. I didn't know that." Robin looked at Gibbs. "How'd she die?"

"She was shot several times when we had a case all the way in Los Angeles," Gibbs said.

"I'm sorry."

Gibbs smiled weakly. "Don't be."

"Yes, it was very tragic," Vance said. They looked at him. "She was a wonderful, smart woman. Now, as for why you're here. Agent Gibbs's team informed me that you've worked with them before when NCIS had been taken by force from a Mr. Slade Wilson."

"That's correct. Gibbs told me that the case they took would interest me. I'm just going to take a guess and say it has something to do with Slade and me."

"That's right," Vance answered. "We got a call that a man was found dead in his home and Gibbs's team was assigned to check it out. They brought the body here, Dr. Mallard started an autopsy, and Ms. Sciuto performed a search on his identity. We can go down to Autopsy and hear Dr. Mallard's report."

"That would be great."

With a curt nod, Vance walked past them. Gibbs and Robin followed him out, down the hall, downstairs, and over to the elevator. They descended into Autopsy, where Ducky and Palmer were going over paperwork. Turning around in his chair when he heard the door swish open, Ducky saw the trio approach. He stood up and met up with them.

"Ah, Robin. Good to see you again."

Smiling, Robin shook Ducky's hand. "It's good to see you, too, Ducky. So, what do you got for me?"

"Ah, right this way, please." Ducky walked over to the freezers and opened one of them. Some cold air came out as he pulled the tray out of the container. Lying dead on the slab was a balding, white-haired man in what seemed to be his nineties. His face was badly wrinkled. Robin almost expected someone Slade's age to be lying there, not some old man. "This old fellow was tortured before he was murdered." With his hand, Ducky pointed to the man's injuries as he explained what happened. "The time of death was in the very early morning, at around 3:20AM. He was first knocked out by a blow to the forehead. As you can see, there's a deep indent from what could be a blunt object. Perhaps a sledgehammer or metal baseball bat. His wrists, ankles, and stomach had bruises on them. He was, strapped to a chair by thick chains, which fractured his thin, aging bones. Duct tape had been taped to his mouth, possibly to prevent anyone from hearing him scream."

Ducky started to explain the wounds on his stomach and around his hips. "He was stabbed repeatedly with a dull blade. The duller the blade, the more painful the stab. His hips had been slashed in several places with a sharper blade. They went in so deep that the coxal bone had been sliced in a few places. After the stabbing occurred, he had been hit repeatedly by the baseball bat or sledgehammer. His organs had bruised and ruptured, making him bleed out. His chest was also hit repeatedly, breaking his ribs and shattering his sternum in half. Then his fingers and toes were cut off, bone and all. He was also burned from matches or a torch lighter. The poor fellow suffered tremendously and he bled to death. As far as we know, he was never touched by human hands. Or, at least, there have been no traces of being touched. Abby is going to search for finger prints tomorrow afternoon."

Robin examined the various wounds on the man's body, keeping a mental note of everything. He then looked at Ducky. "Can I have a pair of gloves?"

"Of course." Ducky walked over to a storage cabinet and grabbed a rubber glove. He returned, handing it to Robin. He pulled it on and then felt the indents. "What are you looking for?"

Robin traced the perimeter of the dents, trying to picture an object in his head. "I'm trying to find out what caused these." After a few more seconds, he looked up. "I've seen indents like these before when I lived in Gotham. Gangs usually always used baseball bats to make their victims suffer. A bat caused these."

"I'll change my report then." Ducky walked off to his filing cabinet. Opening it, he searched through the files and found the one he wanted. He pulled it out and returned to the freezer. Gibbs quickly handed him a pen. "Thank you, Jethro." He clicked it open and crossed out the word "sledgehammer" and circled "baseball bat". "I'll rewrite this later. Now what about the gashes and cuts? Do you know what sort of blade was used?"

Robin examined them more closely. For a couple of minutes, he traced the gashes and stuck his finger into the slits to feel the ridges in the bone. He soon pictured two different blades in his head.

"Okay, from the odd scratches in the hip bone, a steak knife was used. If the killer didn't bring their own weapon, the place you found this man might have one missing. Assuming the killer took their tools with them anyway. Now the blunt blade is probably a plain butter knife. With enough force, it _can_ pierce flesh. Since this man is so old, his skin would be thinner, thus easier access for the blade to enter his body. If not a butter knife, then a big, dull kitchen knife would do it."

Vance looked at Robin, amazed. "That's very impressive observation work."

Ducky added more notes and then clicked the pen closed. "I, too, thought plain, old kitchen knives had been the weapon of choice. But, it is always nice to have a second opinion." As Robin pulled the glove off to throw it away, Ducky closed the folder, handed the pen back to Gibbs, and then went to his desk to set the file down. He returned to the tray. "Your turn, Jethro."

"We arrived at the man's house at seven, found him strapped to a kitchen chair, and tortured to death," Gibbs continued, looking at Robin. "After bringing him down here, Abby ran an identity check and gave us the answer around 8:15. After the background check, I called you about the case, asking if you'd come over to help us solve it. Do you know who he is?"

Robin frowned slightly. "Not a clue."

Reaching into the inside pocket of his jacket, Gibbs pulled out a folded piece of paper and unfolded it to show a photo ID of the man in the freezer. Taking it from him, Robin read the information. The man's name was Dr. Alan Lexington, he was ninety years old when he died, and his former occupation was a doctor and scientist during war times. Robin racked his brain for the answer he wanted, but came up with nothing. Lowering the paper, he looked at them, clearly confused. Gibbs was the one to answer.

"Dr. Alan Lexington was a scientist during the Vietnam War. He participated in a secret operation during that time." Robin's eyes slowly started to widen. "Yes, Robin, Dr. Lexington was one of the scientists who worked on Project Super Soldier. One of the same men that Slade vowed to kill for destroying him and his men. It might not be fact to most, since no one really knew about the Super Soldier project, but the facts speak for themselves. Dr. Lexington served in Vietnam as a doctor and he was involved with Slade's unit."

Robin looked back at Dr. Lexington's dead body, stunned. This definitely wasn't a coincidence. He looked back up at Gibbs a few seconds later.

"So you really think he was involved in Slade and his comrades becoming immortal?"

"I do," Gibbs replied.

Robin rubbed the back of his head, feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of this. "What makes you so sure?"

"Jethro _always_ goes with his gut feeling for this sort of thing," Ducky said. "And it's almost always right."

"Which is why tomorrow afternoon, you and I are going to United States Penitentiary Lee to visit Slade," Gibbs continued. "If we're right, he will confirm our suspicions."

Robin nodded. "I'm sure he will. If he's involved somehow, I might be able to get the answer out of him. He might have an accomplice doing the killings for him since he's locked up. Once he tells us, we'll find them and have them arrested." Robin turned to Vance. "Director, thank you for letting Gibbs and his team take this case and for letting me come here. We'll figure this out."

"It's no problem at all," Vance said. "If we're done, I must be off. I told my wife I would be working late, but she'll expect me home soon. Do you have a place to stay?"

"Gibbs offered the agents' homes to me, so I'm good."

"Good. I will see you all tomorrow."

Vance left. Ducky pushed the tray back in the freezer and closed the door.

"I need to leave too," he said, gathering his stuff from his desk. "Mr. Palmer, you may go home as well."

"Thanks, Dr. Mallard." Palmer turned to Robin. "See you tomorrow."

"See ya."

Ducky placed his hat on his head and headed for the door. "Good night, Jethro."

"Night Duck." Ducky left. Gibbs turned and followed after him. "You can stay at my house tonight." Robin and Palmer followed him. All four got on the elevator, ascended to the main floor, and got off. Ducky and Palmer headed out while Gibbs and Robin entered the cubicles. "All of you can go home now. Robin and I will see you tomorrow."

Everyone started packing up and getting ready to go home. Robin pulled his backpack on his shoulders and waited for Gibbs to grab his stuff. They said their good-byes and left at the same time. Robin followed Gibbs to his car and they got in.

"I should be getting a package tomorrow morning at NCIS," Robin said once they were on the way to Gibbs's house. "All of my weapons will be in it since I couldn't get them on the plane."

After ten minutes, Gibbs pulled into his driveway and turned off the car. They both got out and headed up the walkway to the front door. Taking out his house key, Gibbs unlocked and opened the door and then walked in. Robin closed the door behind him when he made it over the threshold. He looked around as he made his way further inside the living room.

"Hungry?" Gibbs asked as he entered the very clean kitchen.

Robin set his backpack down by the counter on his left. "I had dinner on the plane. I could use a glass of water though." Going to the fridge, Gibbs opened the door and reached in with both hands. In one he held a cold beer and the other a bottle of water. He tossed it to Robin before taking off the bottle cap. Robin opened his water and took a swig. "Thanks."

Gibbs checked his cupboards for something to eat. "Where do you want to sleep? The couch or my room?"

Robin swallowed a mouthful of water. "The couch is fine." Gibbs pulled out a can of soup and got it ready on the stove. Robin sat at the table to drink his water. "I get up around sunrise to watch it in the mornings. Do you do anything like that?"

Gibbs stirred his soup while getting a bowl down. "I'll either jog from six to seven on a normal day or work on my boat before I shower."

Robin looked at him. "You're making a boat?" Gibbs nodded. "Where is it?"

"In the basement."

"How long have you been working on it?"

"For about two months."

Robin blinked, noticing that Gibbs's tone sounded softer and quieter. "Oh, I thought you'd have been working on it for a year or more."

When Gibbs's soup was done, he turned off the stove, poured the soup into his bowl, and then brought it to the table. "This will be my sixth boat actually."

"Oh, okay. That makes sense then. What happened to the previous boats?"

Gibbs ate some soup before answering. "I took them apart and recycled the wood."

Robin gave him a questioning look. "Why?" Gibbs lowered his spoon back in his bowl and moved it around lazily. Robin wondered if he had stepped over a boundary. "Should I not be asking that?"

Gibbs finally looked at him. "No, it's alright. I dismantled them because I named them after my ex-wives."

Robin's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "You've had five ex-wives?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Just three."

"Oh. Well then what about the other two?"

Gibbs was quiet for a moment. "They passed away."

Robin lowered himself slightly. "I see…" Gibbs went back to eating. They were quiet for a while. He was almost finished when Robin asked another question. "So why did you start this boat? Is there someone in your life now?"

Gibbs took his last bite and then got up to wash his dishes. "No, there isn't. I just wanted to make another one. I might actually finish this one."

Gibbs put the dishes in the dish drainer. He finished his beer, rinsed the bottle out, and set it aside. Robin smiled.

"When you do, I want to see it."

Gibbs looked at him and nodded. "I'll try to remember that." He headed out of the kitchen. "I'll show you around while I get you a pillow." Getting up, Robin pushed his chair in, grabbed his backpack on the way out, and followed Gibbs through his house. They entered the master bedroom. Going to his bed, Gibbs grabbed the extra pillow and gave it to him. They left and Robin got a quick tour of Gibbs's nice home. The bathroom was in the hallway along with two closets full of household items. Going to one, Gibbs opened the door, shifted through the blankets, and pulled one out. He handed it to Robin. "I will set my alarm at five fifty."

"Thanks."

"I'm going to work on the boat for a bit. You can join me if you want."

Robin smiled. "I think I'll go to bed actually. Blame the jet lag and being on a plane for so many hours."

"Alright, good night."

"Night."

Robin left and entered the living room. He set up shop on the couch. As he was opening his backpack to put on sleep wear, Gibbs came out and headed for the kitchen. He wore a black T-shirt over a long-sleeved, dark gray sweater. Robin heard a door open and then close as he was pulling on an over-sized T-shirt. After taking off his jeans and setting them over his backpack, he got comfortable on the couch, pulled the blanket on, and closed his eyes. Within minutes, Robin's world darkened around him and he fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning at six-twenty, Robin woke up and slowly sat up. He stretched and yawned before turning and pushing himself to his feet. Rubbing his masked eyes, he made his way through the hall and entered the bathroom. After his business was taken care of, he went into the kitchen and found Gibbs making himself instant coffee.

"Morning," Robin said, still a bit sleepy. "Thanks for letting me sleep in a little. I'll watch the sunrise tomorrow."

"You're welcome. There's cereal in the cupboard."

Gibbs left. As Robin was getting out a bowl and plain Mini Wheaties, he heard the shower going. He made himself breakfast, sprinkled some sugar he found over his cereal, and started to eat. After everything had been consumed, he placed the bowl in the sink and ran water over it. He then returned to the living, got dressed for the day, and then got a glass of milk. Gibbs soon came out of his room, fully dressed. Robin stuffed his communicator in his pocket and pulled his shoes on.

"I'm ready when you are."

Nodding, Gibbs grabbed his Styrofoam cup and then they headed out to his car. They got in, buckled up, and then headed for NCIS. Fifteen minutes later, they walked past the security gate and entered the building. McGee and Ziva were at their desks, but Tony was nowhere to be found. Robin decided to sit at his desk as they waited for him to show up.

"Robin will be getting a box from the Titans this morning," Gibbs said, setting his cup down and sitting.

"We know," Ziva said. "The delivery men called to tell us it would be here shortly. And Tony is late."

"I can see that," Gibbs said, entering his password on his computer.

Robin looked at Ziva. "Is he late a lot?"

"Oh…I'd say once or twice every few months."

Robin nodded. After waiting twenty more minutes, Tony arrived, carrying a box. Robin stood up from his desk and moved aside for him.

"I kept your seat warm," he said with a grin.

"Heh, thanks," Tony said, sitting down. He placed the box in front of him. "That's yours."

"Thanks."

With a pair of scissors, Robin cut into the packing tape and then pulled the flaps apart. Inside were his weapons of choice. Everyone but Gibbs watched as he pulled out two handfuls of bird-a-rangs and placed them in a compartment on his belt. He also pulled out three shrunken bo staves, a few exploding disks, several smoke pellets, and his grapple.

"Okay, where do you get those?" Tony asked, intrigued. "Because they're cool!"

Robin laughed. "I make most of them. Though you can buy cheapo grapple systems in sports shops. You can get smoke pellets from certain markets, like Chinatown. But the rest I make myself." He pulled out a bird-a-rang. "I hand-sharpen the blades on my bird-a-rangs every three months. If they break, I make more. They're mostly light-weight and they serve the same function as a boomerang. They just cause more damage."

"Very impressive," Ziva said.

"Definitely something you'd find in comic books," McGee said. Tony and Ziva gave him a strange look. "Ye_sss_, I read comic books! Shut up…"

Robin grabbed an extra chair and sat down between Tony and McGee's desks. "Beast Boy loves comic books too."

"Yeah but he's a teenager, whereas probe is an adult," Tony said. "It's easy and fun to make fun of him."

"If I recall, DiNozzo, it's easy to make fun of you, too," Gibbs said, not looking up from his work.

Tony grumbled but turned on his computer. Robin was interested to know how to make fun of him, but decided to leave that for tomorrow or later. He had to be serious and focused for the day before relaxing. For a while, he thought of questions to ask Slade when he was there. First he wanted to find out if Slade knew the dead scientist. Then he'd ask if he was involved with his murder or not. It was almost strange, the thought of seeing Slade after six months of being in prison. Robin was the one that convinced him to turn himself in after the Special Agents and his team discovered his plan when he infiltrated NCIS. Would seeing Slade be like kicking dirt on his grave?

For most of the day, things were slow. Around two-fifteen, it was time to drive to the penitentiary. Gibbs grabbed his gear.

"We should get going," he said to Robin. He looked at the others. "We'll be back shortly."

"Later."

Gibbs and Robin left the building and then headed for the parking lot. They got in the car and then drove out of the lot. It didn't take long to get on the highway. The drive lasted almost an hour. A few minutes later after getting on the Exit, Gibbs pulled into a parking spot of the penitentiary. They sat there in silence for a few seconds as they looked at the front doors into the building.

"Do you know what you're going to talk about?" Gibbs asked.

Robin nodded. "Yeah, I have it all planned out."

"Then let's go."

Robin and Gibbs got out of the car. Gibbs locked it as they were heading for the brick facility. Pulling open the front door, they walked in and crossed the lobby to the receptionist desk. A security guard was sitting in front of a computer behind the half-circle desk, staring at security footage. Gibbs pulled out his ID and showed it to him. The guard sensed him there and turned his head. He looked at the ID and then at Gibbs, nodding.

"Afternoon, Special Agent Gibbs," the guard said. He saw Robin beside him. "And you are?"

"I'm Robin of the Teen Titans. I have an appointment to see an inmate at three."

The guard looked like he remembered this. "Oh yes, of course. Let me call another security guard to escort you."

"Thank you," Gibbs said. He and Robin turned and walked away while the guard called in another guard with his walkie-talkie. They waited by the chairs. "Are you going in alone?"

Robin nodded. "Yeah, it'd be better that way. I'll relay everything to you when we're back at NCIS."

"I'll wait here then."

A few seconds later, a guard came out of a metal door that led into a hall. He approached Robin and Gibbs with a smile. He stopped in front of them.

"Follow me."

Turning back around, the guard headed for the door. Taking a deep breath, Robin followed. For five minutes they walked through the penitentiary hallways. After going through ten or so large, steel doors, they walked through one more and headed down the hall. They walked a little over halfway, stopping in front of a steel barred prison cell. The guard tipped his head at Robin and then walked off. He stopped halfway to the door. Looking inside the cell, Robin saw a white-haired man lying on a not-so-comfortable cot with his hands behind his head. His eyes were closed, like he was asleep, but Robin knew better. He cleared his throat to announce his presence. The man's eyes, one which was scarred over, slowly opened. Folding his arms over his chest, Robin stared at him with slightly narrowed eyes.

"Never thought I'd see you again." The man didn't reply. He continued to stare up at the ceiling, unblinking. "There's something you and I need to discuss, Slade."


	4. Involvement

So, dumb me didn't realize I had finished this chapter a long time ago ^^; Oops! I feel so bad that this fic hasn't been worked on in over a year. I've just been so STUCK! I hope to get back into it though, what with the new season coming out soon. Wish me luck!

**SladinForever**

* * *

"There's something you and I need to discuss, Slade."

Robin's arch nemesis, Slade, was wearing bright orange prison pants and was bare-chested. Moving his hands out from behind his head, he slowly sat up, turned so his feet touched the floor, and then stood up.

"Ah, Robin. It is so nice to see you again." Slade slowly turned his head in his direction. Robin was glaring lightly at him. Slade smirked. "What do I owe this pleasure?"

"Why don't you come closer so I don't have to talk too loud. I'm unarmed if that's any consolation."

Turning, Slade took three steps towards the door. He looked through the gap in between the bars in order to see him in a more focused vision. "Even if you weren't, you're too honorable to attack a man who is entirely defenseless," Slade said. "Now I'll ask again: what do I owe this pleasure?"

Robin relaxed a bit. "I was called by NCIS the other day to help them on a strange case they volunteered to be assigned to. Special Agent Gibbs told me over the communicator that I might be interested in it. Turns out that he was right."

Robin paused, waiting for Slade to ask what the case was about.

"Is that so?" Robin didn't reply. "Let me guess, you're here because this case ties in with the two of us."

Robin gave a curt nod. "That's right."

"…Well?"

Robin shifted his weight so both feet planted firmly on the concrete floor. "The morning Gibbs called me, they found a man that was tortured and killed. He suffered from multiple stab wounds, had his fingers and toes cut off, lost most of his blood, had all of his teeth knocked out by a steel object, and his stomach was gutted open. Dr. Mallard diagnosed that he died from blood loss. They couldn't get fingerprints, but the man's face saved him from being labeled as a John Doe. I was surprised to hear of the man's identity. Do you know who he was?"

"No, Robin, I don't," Slade said. "But why don't you tell me."

"His name was former scientist and doctor, Alan Lexington," Robin said. "His records show that he used to be stationed during the Vietnam War. So let me ask you: does this name ring any bells?"

Slade stared at Robin in silence for a long time. "I'm afraid it doesn't. Now if I had a photo of this individual…"

Reaching into his back pocket, Robin pulled out a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it and then pressed it against the bars of the door. Slade leaned forward to examine the face of the dead scientist. He stared at it for a few seconds before lifting just his gaze to Robin.

"It's all coming back to me now," he said, smirking. "It seems someone has done my dirty deed for me." Slade stood up straight. "Dr. Lexington was one of the men that conducted the procedure of Project Super Soldier on me and my deceased comrades."

Robin lowered the photo and then refolded it. He placed it back in his pocket before folding his arms over his chest again. "And _that _is exactly why I'm here. I don't believe this man's death to be a coincidence, Slade. I don't know how you would be able to pull it off, but I think you are involved somehow. So I want the truth. _Did you_ or did you_ not_ play a part in Dr. Lexington's death?"

Slade placed his hands behind his back. "I did not."

Robin was quiet for a moment in thought. "Are you sure?"

"Robin, I've been in this cell for six months. I never get phone calls, I rarely associate with the other inmates, and I'm left to my own devices," Slade explained. "So to answer your question: yes, I am sure."

Robin's eyes narrowed. "Then why don't I believe you?"

"I don't know Robin. Why don't you?" Robin didn't reply. Slade snorted, amused. "That's what I thought." He lowered his arms and turned back towards his cot. "If there's nothing else you wish to discuss with me, then there's no point in you staying. Have a good day."

Slade sat down on his cot, lifted his legs as he turned, and stretched out with his hands behind his head. He closed his eyes and said nothing more. Robin stared at him in silence for a few seconds, trying to think of another question to ask. When nothing came to him, he lowered his arms, turned, and started to approach the guard when Slade spoke again.

"Thank whoever killed the scientist for me if and when you find him, won't you, Robin?"

Robin paused for a second before continuing on his way. The guard gave him a nod when he reached him and then escorted him out. Back in his cell, Slade was smirking.

* * *

Gibbs and Robin were silent in the car as they headed back for NCIS. Robin stared out his window in thought.

"Think he was telling you the truth?" Gibbs asked.

"I don't know."

"We'll find out. We always do."

Robin looked out the windshield. "Let's hope we do before another one is found dead."

"If there's anymore still living."

Robin looked at him. "When we get back, I want McGee to make background checks on everyone involved in Slade's unit in Vietnam. If we can find the other scientists, then we can keep an eye out for them. I won't allow this senseless killing to continue."

"I'll have Tony call the penitentiary to keep a closer eye on Slade while we work this out. Then they can inform us of any strange activity with him," Gibbs said, getting on the Exit. Ten minutes later, they returned to NCIS. Robin stood off to the side, talking to his team and telling them he'd be staying much longer than they anticipated. Gibbs went to McGee's desk. "McGee. I need you to background check everyone that knew about Project Super Soldier or was in Slade's unit during that time. Whether they are alive or not, give me all of the results you find. We need to find out if there is anyone else that may be in danger."

McGee turned to his computer and opened the search program. "Already on it, boss."

Nodding, Gibbs walked over to Tony, who was on the phone. When he saw him waiting, he said he'd call whoever was on the phone back and then hung up.

"Yes boss?"

"Call the penitentiary and have the guards keep a closer eye on Slade. Tell them that if there is any strange activity between him and anyone, to report it to us immediately. If Slade is involved somehow, we can question him later."

"Got it."

Tony picked his phone back up and called the penitentiary. Robin closed his communicator and entered the cubicles.

"My team is going to do their own research when they have time. If they find anything, they'll let us know."

"McGee is saving information as we speak."

"Okay. I think that's all we can do at this point," Robin said. "I'm going to see if Abby found any DNA from the body yet."

"I'll go down with you." They headed for the elevator. They were passing Ziva's desk. "Ziva, let the director know we returned. Let him know Robin and I will report when we come back up."

"Yes Gibbs."

Robin pushed the down arrow to the elevator. Gibbs caught up as the doors opened. They stepped in and he pressed the Lab button. The elevator descended and stopped within seconds. They walked out, went down the short hall to Abby's lab, and walked in. Abby was currently listening to her Gothic music at a high, ear-splitting volume as she typed at her monitor. Robin jiggled his pinky in his ear, feeling like he'd go deaf any second. Stopping behind her, Gibbs tapped her shoulder. Abby jumped in fright.

"Gibbs!" Turning, she aimed a remote at her stereo system. The music shut off instantly when she pushed the stop button. "Why do you always _do that_!"

"Robin wants to know if you found any fingerprints on the body, Abs," Gibbs said.

Abby gave Robin an apologetic look. "I couldn't find _anything_ that resembled a print. Sorry. I mean, whoever killed our dead scientist was smart enough not to leave a _trace_. He's almost as smart as…well, me."

"Could be a she," Robin said.

"I don't know."

"At least you tried, Abby."

Abby smiled and hugged Robin. "Ohhhhh! Thanks Rob." Gibbs shook his head. Robin patted her back with his hand. Abby then turned back to her monitor. "I'll check a second time at least."

"I'll bring you a Cafe-Pow for your efforts, Abs," Gibbs said.

"Good, because I've been needing one all day!"

"If you find anything, let us know," Robin said.

"Got it."

Robin and Gibbs returned to the main floor and then went up the stairs to go to the director's office. Vance was just coming out of the hall when they reached the landing.

"Officer David called during a phone call. She just got back to me. Find anything?"

Robin shook his head. "Slade didn't know anything. According to him, anyway. I don't trust him yet, so we asked the guards to keep a closer eye on him. Just in case he comes into contact with anyone suspicious."

"So you're at a dead end?"

"Unfortunately."

Vance looked at Gibbs. "How long do you plan on working on this case?"

"Until we find the murderer," Gibbs said.

"This is out of your jurisdiction, Gibbs," Vance said firmly. "I'm only allowing this because I owe you a favor. This case is low priority. Don't spend every waking hour on it when you have other, higher priority cases."

"Don't worry, Director Vance," Robin said. "I won't let it get in the way too much. I can help work on other cases too. With my detective skills, solving other murders might be quicker and smoother. I'll be here for a while."

"Well good. I have to head home. Have a good night."

"Thank you, Director."

Vance turned around and walked away. Turning around, Gibbs headed back down the stairs. Robin followed and they returned to the cubicles. Pulling out an extra chair and setting it in between Ziva's and Gibbs's desk, he sat down and began to think.


End file.
